Ace employees, racing in heels, raise $3,800

A group of five Ace Hardware employees, wearing high heels and carrying purses, raced down a street in Grand Junction, Colo., on Sept. 20 to raise money for victims of domestic violence. The all-male group from Ace Hardware on the Redlands came in third place and won the “Golden Heel” award for raising the most money — $3,800 – during the annual “Men in Heels” fundraiser. Proceeds benefited Latimer House, a local shelter for victims of domestic violence.

The money was raised through customer donations in the weeks preceding the event. Cashiers at the front register of the store, which is owned by Chris and Vicki Peterson, collected sums ranging from $1 to $100.

From Ace, Lively steps to RadioShack interim CEO

Former Ace Hardware CFO Dorvin Lively was elevated to the position of interim CEO of RadioShack, after the Fort Worth, Texas-based electronics retailer’s CEO James Gooch stepped down.

A little more than a year ago, Dorvin Lively left Ace and joined RadioShack as CFO. He joined Ace as senior VP and CFO in 2008 and was promoted to executive VP in December 2010.

Lively was a professional accounting fellow at the Financial Accounting Standards Board in the early 1990s. He later became a senior VP and corporate controller at Toys “R” Us before moving on to Maidenform Brands, and then to Ace Hardware in 2008.

The challenges facing RadioShack are considered significant, as it meets head on the societal shift in the way consumers buy consumer electronics and the trend of shopping in store and buying online. The company’s stock has fallen about 70% since the beginning of the year.

Lively’s thoughts on retail growth, the role of the co-op and other matters were explored in an Home Channel News article in March 2011.

Clark also stressed the value of private label, and explained the co-op’s internal strategy for its private-label program, including Master Mechanic and Green Thumb products. The idea is to ensure each private-label SKU features the same benefits at a lower price than a national brand, or more benefits at the same price as a national brand.

It’s a tall order, but Clark pointed to statistics from Nielsen research that showed 75% of consumers feel private brands are a good alternative, and 63% of consumers feel “quality is just as good.”

The True Value Fall Market in Salt Lake City also showcased the co-op’s expansion into Farm and Ranch, which was arranged like a store within the show floor at the Salt Palace Convention Center.

The essential planograms were on display, along with live chicks and small ponies.

“What we’re providing here is the category management that is so needed in this industry,” said Kevin Rewerts, divisional VP automotive-pet-farm and ranch.

The co-op’s vision for growth is ambitious. A stated goal to grow its pet, automotive, farm and ranch business by more than $100 million over the next four years.

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